The reason we have 5 losses? Because this team has mental break downs over and over. Missed assignments, dropped balls, bad play calling at crucial times, missed tackles, penalties, you name the mental lapse and we have done it in our losses. There is no good reason why we have this many losses, we should be much better than this.

theENGLISHseahawk wrote:Is it acceptable to be one win better off than 2010 and 2011? Would it be considered a failure this year? Or would you see it as progress, however minor?

I think it could be both a mark of minor progress AND at the same time unacceptable.

First off, 8-8 would signify a little progress in the W/L column, but the scores of the games would seem to carry greater significance to me. We're keeping most games close, and the only games that get more than a single score in point differential are ones that we win.

At the same time, though, 8-8 would be a massive disappointment after a 6-4 start. We've broken in a rookie QB who is now showing that he's got franchise talent both at home AND on the road, but our defense - which was supposed to be the strength of the team - is faltering on the road.

I guess when I look at this team, I see a lot of talent that's pretty evident, but it seems to be a little disorganized. It's like a puzzle that's 85% put together. You can see how it's going to end up looking, and you've put a lot of work into it, but there's still stuff to be done, and it's definitely not ready to be put in a frame and compared to other finished puzzles. I think that disorganization can be put in part on the youth of the squad and the fact that they haven't had significant time to build strong chemistry on both sides of the ball. But I think part of it is squarely on the coaching staff. They've got to do a better job.

theENGLISHseahawk wrote:Is it acceptable to be one win better off than 2010 and 2011? Would it be considered a failure this year? Or would you see it as progress, however minor?

I think it could be both a mark of minor progress AND at the same time unacceptable.

First off, 8-8 would signify a little progress in the W/L column, but the scores of the games would seem to carry greater significance to me. We're keeping most games close, and the only games that get more than a single score in point differential are ones that we win.

At the same time, though, 8-8 would be a massive disappointment after a 6-4 start. We've broken in a rookie QB who is now showing that he's got franchise talent both at home AND on the road, but our defense - which was supposed to be the strength of the team - is faltering on the road.

I guess when I look at this team, I see a lot of talent that's pretty evident, but it seems to be a little disorganized. It's like a puzzle that's 85% put together. You can see how it's going to end up looking, and you've put a lot of work into it, but there's still stuff to be done, and it's definitely not ready to be put in a frame and compared to other finished puzzles. I think that disorganization can be put in part on the youth of the squad and the fact that they haven't had significant time to build strong chemistry on both sides of the ball. But I think part of it is squarely on the coaching staff. They've got to do a better job.

It is totally crap. If we go 8-8 I want to see someone's head roll. I know I'm just being a pissy fan, but this is ridiculous. We sucked on multiple levels today - in particular our OL and DL sucked butt. I'm really mad, and I will be really mad for a year if we go 8-8.

You mean you are now admitting that this defense isn't all that? When I said it after the lions game you and the think tank told me that it was a great game by the lions elite offense and that our defense was still dominant.

If you can in any way say 8-8 is acceptable after two 7-9 seasons then mediocrity is your comfy zone. At this point in his tenure it's the wins that matter. We have gone past that "showing progress" mantra. If your still hanging on to that after 2 1/2 seasons then settling on 8-8 OK, I guess.

" Remember the men and women in uniform that have signed that blank check for us."

Tech Worlds wrote:You mean you are now admitting that this defense isn't all that? When I said it after the lions game you and the think tank told me that it was a great game by the lions elite offense and that our defense was still dominant.

Who is this even addressed to? I don't remember passing any comment on that Lions game.

And I'm sure the 'think tank' will remember this next time the oracle speaks.

Let's say we even get to 9-7 somehow. The fact that after a decent start we tanked winnable games against Detroit and the Phins still makes it a disappointment. Leaving wins on the table like that in such putrid fashion is disappointing.

After my initial "DAMN we suck", kick the dog, pull my hair out emotional response I take a few deep breaths and revert back to the "this was layed out as a 4 year total rebuild plan" thought process. We are 75% done and we all get our hopes up so high for playoff chances and some nice performances. I think we still have some great (and pathetic) football yet to play this year as we roller coaster our way thru the ups and downs of a young team still learning and missing a couple pieces.

To answer your question: To me it is more about developing better chemistry, the Oline gelling better, and figuring some way to fix our recently exposed defensive flaws. I would hope to see us closer to the 10 win mark as a win/loss mark of progress but I am more interested in how we get there rather than the end result at this point in time.

One think I would like to see changed is pulling some of the stops out offensively and "playing to win" the game rather than the "playing not to lose" feel our games (especially on the road) seem to have to them. Sometimes you just need to gamble and I think we need to start thinking more along those lines now.

Tech Worlds wrote:You mean you are now admitting that this defense isn't all that? When I said it after the lions game you and the think tank told me that it was a great game by the lions elite offense and that our defense was still dominant.

Who is this even addressed to? I don't remember passing any comment on that Lions game.

And I'm sure the 'think tank' will remember this next time the oracle speaks.

The reason we have 5 losses? Because this team has mental break downs over and over. Missed assignments, dropped balls, bad play calling at crucial times, missed tackles, penalties, you name the mental lapse and we have done it in our losses. There is no good reason why we have this many losses, we should be much better than this.

Agreed with the mental lapses part. Some of those lapses could be attributed to young players - especially young LBers who need further seasoning. But yeah, in the end, that's on the coaching staff. And if the team has an off day, those lapses get magnified... I think that's what happened today. It's frustrating, because I don't think it's outrageous to suggest that we can see what kind of team this CAN be... it CAN be dominant if only they could improve execution and show some consistency - both in the way they perform on the field and the way the coaches call the game.

I don't know about English but there was a lot of that BS flying around after the Lions game about how they were so much better than their putrid record and how any defense would have been helpless against the onslaught of that mighty, mighty, O, and that we just ran into a buzzsaw.

Tech Worlds wrote:You mean you are now admitting that this defense isn't all that? When I said it after the lions game you and the think tank told me that it was a great game by the lions elite offense and that our defense was still dominant.

Who is this even addressed to? I don't remember passing any comment on that Lions game.

And I'm sure the 'think tank' will remember this next time the oracle speaks.

Selective memory.

I don't think so pal. I was working at the Pats/Rams Wembley bore-fest on the night of the Lions game, got home at about 2am and had to be up at 6am. Understandably, I didn't game post anything on that particular game other than to say a few days later... "You know... the Lions aren't a bad team." Which they aren't.

But hey, you said something which came to prominence a few weeks later. If only we'd all listened, perhaps we'd all be super-smart like you?

Last edited by theENGLISHseahawk on Sun Nov 25, 2012 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Coug_Hawk08 wrote:Two teams that beat us and a road game? I won't take any game for granted at this point

Gotta ask...

People look at the trends and justifiably say, "I won't believe the Hawks can win on the road until they do so."

But at the same time, many of those same people refuse to say, "I won't believe the Hawks can LOSE at home until they do so."

Why is that?

Because we play much better at home....and find a way to win.

No, I agree with that. In fact, it seems like we are a completely different team at home.

I just wonder why it seems that some folks who automatically assume losses on the road based on this year's performances don't also automatically assume wins at home based on this year's performances.

They extrapolate poor play on the road to games at home, but don't extrapolate good play at home to road games. It's just a strange inconsistency, I suppose.

I think - based on the way we've played this year - that we should win our remaining home games. Yeah, the SF game is likely to be very difficult, but when teams of St. Louis and Arizona's caliber have come to Seattle this season, the Seahawks have handled them. On the flipside, I think that both of the remaining road games are likely to be losses unless something changes. They'd probably be very CLOSE losses, but until the team proves it can carry the fire with which it plays at home over to road games, I still expect them to be losses.

Of course, this team has also been screwing with people's expectations all year (both good and bad), so who knows what will happen?

First, this question probably should've been posed tomorrow when people aren't as up in arms.

For me, it's a failure because we'll have failed out on the 'easiest' part of our schedule, and 10-6 is still doable. I dunno, anything can happen, but the margin is definitely razor thin at the moment.

Would it be acceptable? I mean, if it happens, what other choice do we have but to accept it? Mass suicide? Bomb the VMAC? We won't have to be happy about it but we'd have little choice but to accept it. Here's to hoping for better.

Depends on how we get to 8-8. As much as we all hate to lose the close ones, the reality is we're becoming more and more competitive. If we lost all 8 games by a TD or less (as is the case with all 5 of our losses so far), then I think Pete and Co shouldn't feel like they're on the hot seat for next year.... but if we start getting beat up (especially by division rivals—at home) then we've gotta let Pete know, next is his last if we're not putting up a new banner in the stands after 2013-14 season.

With all that said though, 10-6 is still where I think we should end up.

We'll win our division home games; yes, even the '9ers—which I know everyone here is peeing their pants about—but then we'll split Chi/Buf on the road. The best part is that Sherm and Browner will be back just in time to start our improbable dominating run through the playoffs.